The International Court of Justice will announce its verdict today on India's appeal against the death sentence awarded by a Pakistani court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage and subversive activities.
The verdict is set to be announced at 3.30 p.m. IST, ICJ said in a press release posted on Twitter.
The verdict comes after India and Pakistan clashed on Monday at the ICJ over Jadhav with New Delhi invoking the court's jurisdiction to see that the death sentence against him is annulled immediately.
Pakistan has said that India had no right to invoke the jurisdiction of the court because the Vienna Convention does not provide for matters relating to spies, terrorists and those who indulge in espionage.
On May 8, India moved the ICJ against the death penalty handed down to Jadhav by a Pakistan military court, alleging violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
India, in its appeal to the ICJ, had asserted that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retiring from the Indian Navy. India has denied that he has any connection with the government.
India has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention and conducting a "farcical trial" for convicting Jadhav without a "shred of evidence". India demanded the immediate suspension of Jadhav's death sentence, expressing fears that Pakistan could execute him even before the hearing at the ICJ was over.
However, Pakistan asserted that Jadhav's execution was not imminent, saying that a time frame of 150 days is provided for seeking clemency and in Jadhav's case even if it started on April 10, 2017, the date of his conviction, the period could extend to well beyond August, 2017.
After hearing the arguments of the two sides, the court said it will issue its order on India's request for provisional measures "as soon as possible".
(With agencies)
